Do lots of you have an MA? Especially SLT and middle leaders

[tomhazard]

I am in my 9th year of teaching and have worked in 3 different settings in that time. Currently a HoD in a small indie.

I am considering beginning a distance learning Education MA in March, partly as I think I might like to be an assistant head if I can manage it when my kids are a bit older. I wanted to do it a long time ago but had my first dc at the start of my third year of teaching then another so I've been busy!

Now I feel I have a bit more time and energy but not sure if the time and money for an MA is worth it for my career or even whether it is kind of expected in leadership posts?

Yes. I’m HOD and looking at AHT posts. I have an MA and am hoping to do NPQSL soon. Most posts don’t ask for MA though, they ask for ‘evidence of commitment to continued professional developmemt’ or similar.

Yes I’m somewhere between middle and senior leader (unusual academy staffing structure) and have an MA... however lots of our leaders don’t have them.

I'm on SLT and have an MA. I'm the only one on our team who does though.

I'm on SLT and am 9 months off finishing MEd in my specialism.

I'm SLT with an MA. There are only 2 of us with one though in a very large team

I’m SL and don’t have an MA - just lots of experience! I might do it one day but juggling full time work and home is quite enough for me.

I'm middle leadership and have an MA, but I did it for "fun" rather than to advance my career. I'm fairly sure the other middle leaders don't have them.

Yes, in my teaching subject rather than in Education.

I am no longer teaching but have an MA in Education. My thoughts:

Be prepared for it to be quite gruelling as the assignments will fall over holiday periods.

I hugely enjoyed it and it changed my outlook on so many things.

Now for the rub: study at that level makes you challenge and question the status quo, by its very nature. Be prepared to find it more difficult to just go along with the latest initiative. I also found that the staff culture in some schools isn’t particularly intellectual, so some colleagues may not be supportive or give much credence to what you are doing. However, that might have improved in recent years with initiatives like MTeach.

No. Considered it, but the only local provider doesn't excite me. I have 4 half masters from various courses though - sadly all a bit too spaced out time wise to add together! One day...

No - not necessary unless it’s something you want to do for you.

No but I am doing an NPQSL